A union is pressing for approval of a state-backed association plan for major improvements at the New York Racing Association Belmont Park announced the membership expansion on November 17 at the State Capitol in Albany.
The effort comes as New York Governor Kathy Hochul, recently elected full-term governor, is putting together her spending, revenue and bond provisions as her 2023 state budget plan. She was announced in January.
We Are New York Racing, an alliance originally formed to combat criticism of the racing industry over issues of horse safety and state subsidies, said on Thursday that they are adding more members to their team at a time when they will urgently apply for affiliated permission for an overhaul in Belmont.
The new members are the New York State Business Council, the main lobbying force for a range of business interests at the Capitol and the Queens Chamber of Commerce. In addition to the NYRA and the Business Council, the New York Thoroughbred Horseman Association and New York Thoroughbred Breeders were scheduled to appear on Capitol Hill on Thursday to promote the 2023 Belmont bond lobby. .
An NYRA bid was unsuccessful during the state’s 2022 legislative session, which ended last June, to participate in the state affiliate program with $450 million in capital to help funded a major overhaul at Belmont—including a new grandstand and extensive track improvements. It’s all part of a broader initiative that ultimately calls for an end to racing at Aqueduct race track with the NYRA’s downland racing activities centered solely on Belmont.
The NYRA attempted unsuccessfully to include the loan plan in this year’s state budget for the fiscal year beginning April 1. Another bid was made in the final months of the 2022 session, but it also died when the lawmakers concluded their session in June. Advocates at the time said the effort needed to do more, including answering questions from some reluctant lawmakers and state officials. They say lobbying has been going on since the end of the session and they hope Hochul will include their idea in her next budget in 2023.
The NYRA could realize lower interest rates and less cumbersome borrowing processes if they could access the state bond program; The NYRA says it will pay all the costs of the loan.
NYRA officials said the $450 million bond will be 100% repaid by the NYRA over 30 years from the funds set aside for capital from video lottery terminal revenue-sharing funds that they received.
Jeffrey Cannizzo, the NYRA’s director of government affairs, said Thursday at the state Capitol: “The central state motorsport needs a complete facelift.
He has repeatedly talked about a new facility that could draw future generations of fans to the facility year-round, as well as bring Breeders’ Cups to New York.
“The time has come for us to renovate a facility that, frankly, is lagging behind modern recreational facilities across the state,” said Joseph Appelbaum, president of the New York Thoroughbred Riders Association. country.
Advocates say the NYRA-funded project will create jobs and also increase the value of state-owned properties. (NYRA runs races at its three tracks in New York under long-term franchise agreements, but the state owns these properties.)
Some work needs to be done, including persuading Hochul, who this month won overwhelmingly to get a full term as governor, as well as finding a new Senate sponsor for the idea. ; 2022 sponsor, Senator Anna Kaplan, Democrat of Nassau County, was defeated in November in her general election campaign.
If Hochul included the plan in his budget, in effect, a separate Senate and Congress bill would not be needed. Unknown in the equation driving the association is how Long Island politics might shape the debate; Hochul, in her recent statewide election victory, lost Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, and her allied Democrats were defeated in legislative and national contests. state association there. (Belmont is located in Nassau County.)
Heather Briccetti Mulligan, president and CEO of the New York State Business Council, said, “Whether it’s suburban or suburban, New York has always been a horse-racing nation. “The sport generates billions of dollars in economic activity, supports tens of thousands of jobs, and contributes tens of millions of dollars in taxes. Modernizing Belmont Park will only increase the enormous benefits that the sport will bring. horse racing brings everyone from North Country farmers to Long Island manual laborers to hotel workers in Saratoga, and we’re excited to help the union continue to make the case in this year in Albany.”
The horse racing industry in New York, as elsewhere, is increasingly under coordinated attack on horse safety issues, as well as what critics say are sponsored interests. publicly too generous to support things like wallets and livestock funds.
Fans at races in Belmont Park
The We Are New York Racing team, in addition to the NYRA, Standardbred organizations and business trade groups, including unions, banks, horse farms, OTB corporations, restaurants and government interest groups in Saratoga Springs as well as the National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame. It sought to spread the word about the economic importance of the New York racing industry.
The union notes that Belmont Park hasn’t undergone major renovations since 1968. The NYRA wants to be authorized to essentially support the sale of state bonds, giving them access to lower interest rates; The NYRA says it will be responsible for all repayment obligations of such loan plans.
“Modernizing Belmont Park is a transformational project that will establish one of the best sports and recreation destinations anywhere in the country—especially when combined with the new UBS Arena next door. The NYRA appreciates the effort and support of We Are New York, Patrick McKenna, a spokesman for the NYRA, said in a statement this morning.
“A reimagined Belmont would be the most significant and significant new development the sport has seen in recent history and a major construction project for the State of New York. It will lead to a great opportunity. The facility is capable of hosting year-round races and paving the way for the return of the Breeders’ Cup World Championship to New York, while creating thousands of jobs now and in the future.” of the NYRA adds.
“Belmont may be across the border from Nassau County, but here in Queens we understand that the construction of a new, world-class Belmont Park will have a huge, positive impact on the region below the state. state and the entire state—and we are proud to support that goal,” said Thomas J. Grech, president and chief executive officer of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. “This project won’t cost taxpayers a dime, but it will unleash tremendous economic activity in Queens and Long Island. It’s a win-win for our community. “
“Our alliance continues to grow because horse racing has a positive impact on every corner of New York State—from Batavia to Belmont. We’ve created tremendous momentum in this legislative session, and we do. will continue to push and make modernizing Belmont a major budget priority by 2023,” said Jack Sterne, spokesman for the We Are New York Equestrian Alliance.
The alliance was founded in September 2021 and today includes more than 50 members.
The joint plan to renovate Belmont is supported by the team more than 150 miles north of the Long Island track.
“Racecourse Saratoga is the crown jewel of Spa City, but to secure Saratoga’s future, we need to re-imagine and strengthen Belmont Park,” said Todd Shimkus, president of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.
“The connection between suburban and suburban horse racing is undeniable, and the success of the annual summer meetup depends on the continued strength of the competition at Belmont Park. The future of Belmont and Saratoga is closely linked, and on behalf of my membership in Saratoga County, I stand ready to make the modernization of Belmont Park a top priority,” he said.
